A multimedia system is a system linking multiple types of media devices. Such a system may be used in the home, at school, for business presentations, or the like. One example of a multimedia system is the Gateway® Destination® xtv 500. It links an information handling system or personal computer (PC), internet access, cable television, video system, audio system, digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), as well as other accessories and peripherals. Destination® xtv 500 users have a central command center for multimedia activities, such as playing computer games, surfing the internet, watching cable or DVD movies or videos, working on a PC, listening to CDs, and the like.
Multimedia systems link different media devices. These linked devices form subsystems within the system. The multimedia system folds these subsystems into one system with a central control center and a single user interface. However, there are several problems associated with this linking process. First, the devices do not necessarily have consistent user interfaces, nor consistent communication interfaces, due in part to the fact that they often have different manufacturers. Second, most users of multimedia systems do not have experience with the complex technologies incorporated into such a system. Furthermore, a user may not understand how the devices are interconnected, or how each device is controlled. Finally, a user interface that is convenient for designers to implement is not necessarily adapted to suit the needs of the user. A user interface that is convenient for designers to implement is one made up of internal actions and devices familiar to the designer, rather than one made up of actions and devices familiar to the user. High level commands describe actions and objects familiar to the user, which need to be interpreted or translated into internal actions and devices in the multimedia system.